There's a lot of wonderful food in North Jersey, yet often many of us end up eating uninspired, forgettable grub. We at The Record, Daily Record, and NorthJersey.com, however, frequently go out to eat (some of us readily admit to being food obsessed). And every now and then, we discover knock-your-socks-off dishes. And since we're in the business of reporting, we thought we'd report back to you on our delicious discoveries so that you can go enjoy terrific food too.

Check back in July — we are determined to share our finds with you every month.

Starters at MishMish Café, Montclair

MishMish Café's chef and owner Meny Vaknin had me at his starters. Vaknin recently introduced a new menu, and it's all good — from the get-go. His home-made hummus with whole chickpeas (known as hummus masbacha) was so light, creamy and smooth that I could have easily asked for a pint and called it dinner. But then I wouldn't have had the pleasure of devouring Vaknin's smoke-tinged mashed eggplant topped with brine-y feta cheese and zaatar. Nor for that matter, would I have been able to down MishMish's crisp and heady fried cauliflower florets that makes eating veggies absurdly effortless. Each costs $8; tri-dip sampler, $16. And the warm, fluffy pita that accompanied the starters? Priceless. — Esther Davidowitz, food editor

Malabi at MishMish Café, Montclair

Malabi, the popular Israeli dessert, served at MishMish Cafe in Montclair(Photo: MishMish Cafe)

If you can, make sure to end your meal at MishMish with the popular Israeli dessert known as Malabi, a creamy, milk-based pudding perfumed with rosewater. At Mishmish, it is topped with shredded halvah, that super-sweet sesame paste loved by Israelis that is nearly unrecognizable here (it is often sold as candy bars or wedges). Stick your spoon into the dessert and — surprise — underneath that mountain of halvah find berry coulis and pistachios atop that velvety pudding. Consider yourself one lucky diner. $9. — Esther Davidowitz, food editor

Jerk Menage a Trois at Papillon 25, South Orange

Jerk Menage a Trois at Papillon 25 in South Orange.(Photo: Cindy Schweich Handler)

I'd wanted to check out Papillon 25 for a long time, and the restaurant-bar was hopping on a recent summery Saturday night. Chef Yanick Ranieri's menu shows off her French, Cajun and Southern influences in dishes such as braised oxtail, coq au vin and jambalaya. Everything looked good, but as I scanned the menu, an hors d'oeuvres called Jerk Menage a Trois caught my eye. With a name like that, how could I not try it? Three skewers, each piercing a perfectly spiced scallop, shrimp and tender cube of chicken, alongside a couple of generous slices of fried sweet plaintains and a generous helping of green ginger dipping sauce. The dish was salty, sweet and savory, and not too hot for a chili pepper wimp like me: a great seduction to the main menu, and the feast to come. $16.95. — Cindy Schweich Handler, Editor, Montclair, Millburn & Short Hills and Wayne Magazines

Mika bowl at Little Bear Poke, Montclair

Mika bowl(Photo: Staff)

My lone experience with poke was at a mall; it was a high-end mall, but not high enough for my GI tract, which suffered as a result. But I love sushi, and Little Bear Poke had recently opened near my home, so I wanted to try it. Fortunately, it only took a few bites of the Mika bowl to know that the eatery exists in a completely different culinary universe from the mall takeout place.The glistening chunks of salmon were tender and juicy (the fish is delivered fresh daily), and the ingredient mix was more inventive: sweet apple, diced into tiny bits, provided the perfect contrast to the salty, pleasantly slimy seaweed salad on top. Shiso miso sauce enhanced the tower of treats, which sat atop a pancake of crispy rice. I caught myself saying "Mmmmm!" over and over out loud like a kid, which actually felt appropriate in the candy color-accented, child-friendly space. — Cindy Schweich Handler, Editor, Montclair, Millburn & Short Hills and Wayne Magazines

Seared Tuna Bruschetta at Spuntino Wine Bar, Clifton

The Seared Tuna Bruschetta at Spuntino in Clifton.(Photo: Liz Johnson/NorthJersey.com)

Who knew such a small dish could pack such a big punch? But take one bite of this seared tuna crostini, and the flavors cascade over your tongue: first comes the bracing lemon aioli, which gives way to the sweet tuna, accented with briny olives, floral red pepper, spicy black pepper. All this is made whole with the brilliant char on the grilled bread. Bravo! And all for only $5. — Liz Johnson, senior director

Tamarind Eggplant at Downtown Dhaba, Westwood

Tamarind eggplant at Downtown Dhabar in Westwood.(Photo: Staff)

My dining companion called Indian restaurant Downtown Dhaba's tamarind eggplant appetizer "Indian nachos." And she had a point. This heady dish very much resembles the delicious mess that is Mexico's popular snack food, only the cheese toppings on this melange of velvety soft yet crisp eggplant slices, whole chickpeas, cubed snow-white potatoes in a delightful tamarind sauce, were, according to our waiter, shredded chickpeas. The chef declares it to be one of his signature dishes. $9. — Esther Davidowitz, food editor